Purpose

Research support services (RSS) is an emerging and popular area in university libraries, whose increasing importance has been well documented since the early 2010s. This study aims to identify the status of RSS provided in the university libraries of Pakistan and to compare the results with relevant international studies. The research also reports on the perception of librarians regarding the application of RSS in Pakistani university libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey was conducted of the chief librarians/head librarians working in the 175 university libraries of Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was designed and pre-tested with national and international research experts, faculty members and library professionals. SPSS was used to calculate descriptive statistics. Results of the study were compared with previous literature from an international perspective.

Findings

Results of the study indicated that most of the university libraries are providing basic RSS and that they have good collections of both general and subject-specific works to meet the needs of researchers. Most respondents not only were interested in providing RSS but also emphasized that libraries should upgrade their collection to meet researchers’ requirements. However, results of the study also indicated that there was noticeably less support for both the more advanced and newer research support services.

Practical implications

Because the delivery of RSS enables libraries to help meet a university’s strategic research goals, the findings will be of interest to university library and information science executives, policymakers and administration. The suggested recommendations highlight those service areas which are most in need of improvement.

Originality/value

This research provides an updated perspective on the delivery of research support services by university libraries in Pakistan.

中文翻译：

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巴基斯坦大学图书馆研究支持服务现状

目的

研究支持服务 (RSS) 是大学图书馆中一个新兴且受欢迎的领域，自 2010 年代初以来，其重要性日益增加。本研究旨在确定巴基斯坦大学图书馆提供的 RSS 的现状，并将结果与​​相关国际研究进行比较。该研究还报告了图书馆员对 RSS 在巴基斯坦大学图书馆中的应用的看法。

设计/方法/方法

对在巴基斯坦 175 所大学图书馆工作的首席图书馆员/馆长进行了定量调查。设计了一份结构化问卷，并与国内外研究专家、教职员工和图书馆专业人员进行了预测试。SPSS用于计算描述性统计。从国际角度将研究结果与以前的文献进行了比较。

发现

研究结果表明，大多数大学图书馆都提供基本的 RSS，并且它们拥有良好的一般和特定主题作品的馆藏，以满足研究人员的需求。大多数受访者不仅对提供 RSS 感兴趣，而且强调图书馆应升级其馆藏以满足研究人员的要求。然而，研究结果还表明，对更先进和更新的研究支持服务的支持明显减少。

实际影响

由于 RSS 的交付使图书馆能够帮助实现大学的战略研究目标，因此研究结果将引起大学图书馆和信息科学主管、政策制定者和行政部门的兴趣。建议的建议突出了最需要改进的服务领域。

原创性/价值

这项研究提供了关于巴基斯坦大学图书馆提供研究支持服务的最新观点。